Improvement in draft-tongue irons



a; w. TAFT.

Graft-Tongue Irons.

Patentedlune 30,1874.

INVENTOR; .W

WITNESSES;

UNITED STATES A'rEN @TFFIOE.

GEORGE IV. TAFT, OF POMFRET, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT lN DRAFT-TONGUE IRONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,530, dated June 30, 1874; application filed April 4,1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. TAFT, of Pomfret, in the county of Windham and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Tongue Irons for Carts, Wagons, Sleds, and for other similar purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of a section of the front end of a cart-tongue with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a vertical central section of the parts shown in Fig. 1, with the yoke-ring in position and Fig. 3represents a perspective view of the self-adjusting draft-piece detached.

My invention relates to an improved mode of properly and conveniently securing the yoke-ring to the front end of the tongue; and consists in the combination of a self-adjusting draft-piece with the main tongue-iron and holdback-piece, as will be hereafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, the part marked A represents a section of the front end of the tongue, upon the top of which is secured the cap-iron B, while upon the under side is secured the main draftiron piece 0, said pieces being se cured to the front end of tongue A by means of suitable bolts a and b. To the front projecting lip c of the main draft-iron piece U is secured the leading draftlink d, while from the rear under portion of said iron projects the holding-arm D, the front end of which is recessed out, or formed with a curved space, 0, to receive and hold the yoke-ring E in backing or holding back the cart. The under side of the draft-iron G is recessed out forward of the holdback arm D to receive the self-adjusting draft-piece F, the front endof which is provided with a concavity, f, to fit upon the rounded end g, which forms the front end of the slot in the iron piece 0, while the rear end of said draft-piece is provided with a c011- cavity, 7a,.against which the yoke-ring draws when the team is driven forward. The rear end of the draft-piece F is also provided with a supporting-shoulder, 1, which bears against corresponding shoulders 2 upon a portion of the iron 0, which extends into a recess or slot cut in the under side of the tongue. Said recess is'also cut deep enough to allow the rear end of the adjusting draft-piece F to be swung or pushed up to allow the yoke-ring E to be detached from the tongue when desired. The adjusting draft-piece F is provided with two curved ears, 3 3, which work in corresponding curved slots cut in the metal piece 0, said curved ears or projections serving a double purpose, namely: They prevent the adjusting draft-piece F from dropping out of place when the rear part is raised to allow the yoke-ring to be detached from or connected to the front end of the tongue, and

also serve as supporting or resisting lugs when the cart is being drawn forward, and thus relieve the parts f and g, in a measure, from the full draft which would otherwise come upon them.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the self-adjusting draft-piece F is held and retained in position without the use of a pivot, while at the same time it is so arranged that its gravity will keep its rear end down after it has been raised to allow the' yoke-ring to slip into place; and all that is necessary to do in attaching the team to the cart-tongue is to raise the tongue and enter it into the yoke-ring and back the team sufficiently to draw the yoke-ring into the concavity e of the holdback-arm D, when the force of gravity will cause the rear end of piece F to drop, and thus securely lock the yoke-ring in position.

This feature of my invention is of great practical value and importance, since it obviates the necessity of the driver passing in so far between the cattle as is necessary when a holding-pin has to be inserted by hand.

Having described my improvements in drafttongueirons for cznts, wagons, sleds, and for 2. In combination with the self-adinsting other similar purposes, what 1 claim therein draft-piece F and draft-iron O, the holdbackas new and of my invention, and desire to so arm I), constructed to operate in connection cure by Letters Patent, is with draft-piece F, as shown and described.

1.. The combination, with the front end of tongue A and draft-iron piece 0, of the self- GEO. W. TAFT.

adjusting draft-piece F, provided with conczwities h and f, shoulder 1, and curved ears Witnesses:

3 3, substantially as and for the purposes set THOs. H. DODGE, forth. EDWIN E. MOORE. 

